Accidently in Love
by My name's AC
Summary: Hope thought she would never fall in love with Scott. Or anyone really. But she finally felt like she fitted somewhere. And she felt happy for the first time in a long time. In that moment she knew she was screwed but didn't even care. She loved him and she told him so.


"Daddy," Cassie got his attention, laying down her cards on top of what was now a gigantic pile of Uno cards, "you gotta draw four cards, plus two, plus two, and plus two more."

Scott gasped, "How could you do this to me? Draw four," he began counting as he checked the cards recently played by his daughter, "six, eight, ten cards? How could you do this to your own father?"

Cassie bit her tongue as she giggled. Hope pursed her lips, stopping her soft chuckle from being heard. Scott however picked up Hope's lightly hint of laughter.

"Don't you laugh, Hope," Scott said. "Cassie is a master at playing Uno. Soon enough you'll be drawing cards too."

"Alright it's my turn now," Hope played her last two cards and then rested back on the armchair, smirking.

"You didn't call Uno," the girl pointed out. "You have to draw two cards."

Scott smirked, "Told ya she's a master."

He burst out laughing when Hope kicked the couch instead of his leg.

"Can't even kick my – ow!" he groaned, immediately bent over to press his flat palm against his new injury.

"You were saying?" Hope dared with a smirk.

Cassie clamped her mouth with her tiny hands, smothering a laugh.

Hope kept her eyes focused on Scott, who was still rubbing his shin, as she drew the playing cards, "Cassie?"

The girl played the last cards she held and called out, "Uno! I win again!"

"Okay, I'm going to check on that lasagna," Scott told the two of them as he got up and walked to the kitchen, feigning a limp. Hope rolled her eyes.

"Hope?" Cassie crooned. "Can you help me with something?"

"Sure, if I can."

"Can you help me convince dad to give me a Jack?"

Hope looked at the girl, furrowing her brows, "What's a Jack?"

"I want a puppy and I wanna name it Jack. Can you help me convince him? He said we can't have a dog," Cassie tilted her head and gave Hope the puppy dog eyes look.

The woman avoided the eye contact, gathering up the playing cards, "If he says you can't have a –"

"Please Hope, please, please, please," she knelt on the floor before Hope, trying to look into her eyes. "Please?"

She sighed, "I'll see what I can do –"

"Yes," Cassie rejoiced, giving Hope a gap-toothed grin just before, without a warning, wrapping her arms around the woman's neck, "you're the best."

"I'll see what I can do," Hope gently untangled Cassie from her, "but I can't promise anything, so don't set your hopes too high. He might still say no."

Cassie shrugged and wrapped her arms around Hope's neck again, raining thanks down upon her. Hope snaked her arms around the girl's torso, hugging her back. She unconsciously pecked the girl's cheek and let go of her. Cassie returned to her seat on the couch, Scott was back and Hope was frozen, thinking over her last action. Surprise washed over her, but it went away too fast when she looked at Scott, who clearly saw her kissing his daughter's cheek, and he didn't make a fuss about it. She was only taken aback by self-caused-surprise not fear, Hope realized. She was okay with what just happened.

"Can we play Uno one more time?" Cassie piped up.

"Maybe after dinner. Go wash your hands, Peanut," Scott told his daughter and then turned to Hope, "Help me set the table?"

"Sure," Hope replied, getting up and following him to the kitchen. "Has Cassie talked with you about Jack?"

He turned round to face her, "The dog? She asked you too?"

"She asked me to help her convince you."

"Well, I'd love to give her a dog," he said while handing Hope three plates, "but she spends most of the time at Maggie's and I don't have time to look after a dog. We're always going on missions and it'd be here all alone."

"I understand. I just asked because she begged me to and at least she'll know I tried."

"You can't say no to her either, can you?" Scott came up behind Hope, wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek.

She shyly smiled, "I guess not. But I just remembered," she said as she lay down the cutlery, "Hank's been –" she could feel Scott's gaze on her, so she amended, "my father has been talking about getting a dog because he's feeling lonely. If he does get the dog, she can visit it anytime she wants."

"She'd love that. You think he'll mind?"

"No," Hope looked up. "He loves having her around. Whenever he knows she'll be visiting, he buys cookies and candies."

"It seems that Cassie has been spreading her charm around," Scott chuckled.

"I think it's a Lang's thing to spread charm around."

Scott looked back, smirk on his lips, "Did you just say that?"

"I did. It's because..." Her voice came out soft and low, but what she said was pure honest, "I love you."

This time he was the one that froze. He wanted to walk to her, kiss her, tell her that he loved her too, but he had promised he'd take things slowly and wouldn't pressure her. Scott wanted her to feel comfortable when with him, and he loved that, as the days went by, she was getting looser, showing him the side of her that she had never shown to anyone before. It was Hope's side that wanted to be happy and foolish and in love.

Hope said again, now with a growing smile and a stronger voice, "I love you."

"I love you too," he said on a whisper, cupping her face with one hand, pecking her lips.

"I'm not seeing anything," Cassie spoke, causing the two to take a step back and feel a heat wave climbing up to their faces.

They look at the little girl covering her eyes with her hands.

"You can open your eyes now, Cassie," Hope said. "We're sorry."

"It's okay. I've caught mom and Jim kissing once too. Ew!"

Scott chuckled, "Alright, let's have dinner then." Hope and Cassie took a seat while he was taking the lasagna out of the oven, "You know, Hope has something to tell you about Jack."

She gasped, "Did you ask dad? He's gonna give me a puppy?"

"No, but," Hope rushed to add because Cassie's mood dropped, "my father has been talking about getting a dog and if he does you can visit it anytime you want."

"Yay!" she cheered, raising both arms up, "Grandpa Hank is the best!"

Scott leaned into Hope's ear, "When did she start calling him Grandpa Hank?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "But I'm sure he told her she could call him that."


End file.
